Background: The report analyzes life expectancy and mortality in the Americas for the period 2000–2019, exploring the burden of disease throughout the life course and with a focus on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), encompassing mental and substance use disorders, neurological conditions, and external causes.

The health status of its population is a key determinant of a country’s social and economic development. Understanding disease morbidity, mortality, disability, and the related impact on life expectancy is a fundamental pillar for building resilient health systems and more equitable societies. Such knowledge informs strategic planning and optimal resource allocation to effectively address health challenges, making health systems more responsive to the needs of the populations they serve. This is the executive summary of the report Leading causes of death and disease burden in the Americas: Noncommunicable diseases and external causes, which presents an in-depth analysis on life expectancy and mortality in the Americas, exploring the burden of disease throughout the life course. It focuses on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), encompassing mental and substance use disorders, neurological conditions, and external causes during the period 2000–2019. Despite a trend to overall increased life expectancy, NCDs and external causes remain a major challenge to social and economic development in the Region of the Americas, requiring public health solutions, health systems innovations, and political interventions to bring about the required changes. Rapidly aging populations and related demographic shifts, increasing disease burdens, and widening gaps in equity demand accelerated actions to tackle NCDs and mental health conditions. This report provides evidence urgently needed for decisive actions, so that the Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved by the countries of the Americas.

Summary, p.4 - Mental and substance use disorders and neurological conditions:
The number of deaths due to mental and substance use disorders and neurological conditions (mHN) increased by 179% in the period, and the years of full health lost because of MHN rose by 47%. Overall, MHN were the only group of conditions to report increasing mortality and disability rates. Among mental and substance use disorders, mortality rates rose by 89% and disability rates rose by 10%, while among neurological conditions these rates rose by 60% and 15%, respectively. Drug use disorders accounted for 71% of all deaths and 24% of all years of lost health among mental and substance use disorders, while Alzheimer disease and dementias, accounted for 73% of all deaths and 37% of all years of lost health among neurological conditions.